The 20 Most Read Stories on Hornet in 2017

Yeah, 2017 was garbage, but there were a few bright spots. And Hornet was here to keep our users informed on what was going on in the worlds of news, culture, entertainment, health, travel and more. Hornet stories span the gamut of news items of interest to queer men.

From sexy photography and Nazi-doxxing to some ace Drag Race moments and a new iteration of the Pride flag that had some people hella pissed, it was quite a year for Hornet stories.

In response to the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which neo-Nazis clashed violently with counter-protesters at the University of Virginia, the Twitter account “Yes You’re Racist” posted a number of riot photos. The photos appeared with a call for followers to identify people marching on the Neo-Nazi side.

Written up shortly after Valentina was sent packing on Drag Race Season 9, this article combed the archives of Drag Race herstory and came up with a worst five list, in chronological order. In the words of RuPaul, “Drag is not a contact sport.”

Hardly the only time we covered the goings-on of Pink in our Hornet stories, this article was praise for what was one of the best MTV VMAs speeches of all time: “And you, my darling girl, are beautiful, and I love you.”

One of our most popular Hornet stories from July, a transgender woman shared her experience with us about being kicked out of the women’s restroom by the staff at Cirque Du Soleil’s show at the New York-New York Hotel in Las Vegas.

“I don’t know if you understand how scary it is for a newly transitioning person to use a women’s room,” she said.

Gay men are quite intrigued by the scruffy good looks politics of Carson Jones, the openly gay son of Alabama’s new Senator, Doug Jones. As if it wasn’t sweet enough that Roy Moore got taken down like the child molester he is. (Also, check out our sit-down with Carson Jones here.)

A video game that teaches gay history and challenges the targeting of LGBTQ individuals by law enforcement, all while you cruise for guys with meaty ‘guns’ in a grimy bathroom? We’re sold. The Tearoom, created by Robert Yang, is based off a month-long police sting directed at gay men that took place in Mansfield, Ohio, in 1962. The object of the game is simple: make eye contact, make love, don’t get caught.

While attending Paris Fashion Week in October, Violet Chachki was physically dragged out of Paris’ biggest gay sex club, Le Dépôt. Why? Because, she claims, she was not masc-presenting enough. While not in drag, she was wearing makeup upon entering the club, which she was immediately carried out by four men.

Thanks to our editorial team in Paris, Hornet was able to break this story. Ain’t nobody got time for femme-shaming.

Wendy Williams has a sordid history with the LGBT community, with many instances of transphobia and anti-drag bullshit. This is precisely why we were all hella confused when she popped up on our TV screens for the RPDR viewing party. Alaska Thunderfuck, Detox and other queens shared their thoughts on Williams’ role as host to a community she had previously shunned.

That should pretty much be common knowledge by now. Full House star and notorious Christian conservative Candace Cameron Bure could’ve used said advice in March when she posted a pic on Instagram wearing a “Not today, Satan” T-shirt — a catchphrase made famous by Del Rio on Season 6 of Drag Race.

Apparently 2017 was the year that being called GAY was just TOO GAY for some GAY GUYS, who no longer wanted to be called GAY GUYS because it sounded TOO GAY, so they started calling themselves androphiles, while continuing to be MEN SLEEPING WITH MEN, just like other GAY MEN.

Did all that hurt your head? Good. Now you understand how stupid this sounds.

Alaska’s letter, written exclusively for us, was one of our favorite Hornet stories of the year.

A snippet: “People often ask me who I think RuPaul will crown as America’s Next Drag Superstar this Friday night. My response is, ‘The Winner, of course.’ Whoever is chosen will win the crown, the scepter, a sickening supply of Anastasia of Beverly Hills cosmetics and, of course, millions and millions of dollars. But there is more to being told, “You’re a winner, baby…”

Written the morning after Valentina’s now-infamous departure from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9, this piece celebrates that crazy moment as one of the best drag moments of 2017 while lamenting the fact that — like RuPaul herself — we really thought Valentina was going to go all the way.

After years and years of publicly decrying same-sex marriage, the good ol’ Christain fellas at Chick-fil-A had reportedly ceased donations to anti-LGBT organizations. That would have been fine and dandy had it been true.

Change is necessary for progress. And in a year under Trump’s very white, very straight rule, it has become clear that the LGBTQ community needed to work even harder to fight for all marginalized communities.

During Pride in Philadelphia, a brown and a black stripe were added to the Pride flag, meant to represent queer POC and the struggles they face, both outside and within the LGBTQ community. The flag was met with passionate praise by some, condemnation by others, and our Facebook page became one the topic’s main war zones.

Funny enough, when it comes to Hornet stories, our most read article of the year isn’t technically gay news. But that doesn’t mean it’s not queer AF. Suistudio is a womenswear company focused on creating suits for women. In its FW17 campaign, the brand challenged not only gender roles in fashion, but also in advertising. The ads featured women front and center, sporting badass suits, while men become just another object in the photo, naked, blurred and largely off-camera.

Happy New Year from Hornet!

What were your favorite Hornet stories of 2017? Let us know by commenting below or shoot us a tweet @hornetstories.